Improving Performance – How to manage the White Space on the Organization Chart / Geary R. Rummler; Alan P. Brache
This ground breaking book gives the most comprehensive and concise overview over the core of performance improvement. Especially the Anatomy of Performance with its introduction of different performance levels (Job/Performer, Process, and Organization) provides a very helpful view on organizations and clearly supports the idea that most of the problems that organizations face are not connected to people. In addition it demonstrates that Performance Improvement is a scalable approach that goes far beyond human performance. And systems thinking is introduced although not beyond the theoretical basis of General Systems Theory like it was conceptualized some 50 years ago. The book is an absolute must read for anybody who is interested in Performance Improvement. There is no appropriate understanding of PI without mastering these fundamental concepts.
Serious Performance Consulting – According to Rummler / Geary A. Rummler
The idea behind this book is as simple as it is brilliant: Take a successful project and let the reader follow the performance consultant through the project. Geary Rummler tops it off with a “play-by-play” commentary in which he explains the consultant’s reasoning and offers the reader the benefit of his experience. This is his book Performance Improvement in action. For everybody who is interested in practical application an additional must read.
Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity: A Platform for Designing Business Architecture / Jamshid Gharajedaghi
This book applies newer developments in systems theory to organizations. It focuses around how to use systems thinking to take a new approach on the development of organizations. It’s a good introduction to concepts like complexity, interdependencies and choice in an organization. The book is operational based on profound theoretical depth. An interesting side aspect is that it shows how systems thinking and causal thinking can be beneficial in the same environments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TCUVgZQ0yU
Business Dynamics: Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World / John D. Sterman
The most comprehensive and understandable introduction to System Dynamics, a form of systems thinking, I know. And the best of all: the book has a focus on business. It’s a 900+ pages book but you don’t have to worry. The first 40 pages are a sound introduction to complex systems. All the following chapters cover applications of System Dynamics. That means you don’t have to read the whole book. You can pick chapters that are of special interest to you. Nevertheless you will step-by-step develop a sound understanding of System Dynamics. Sterman several times won awards for teaching excellence from the students of the Sloan School and you will benefit from his teaching capabilities on every page you read. Probably not for beginners in the field of performance improvement but once you have a good theoretical basis this is the next step to take. The book also comes with software on a CD that allows quantitative modelling of complex systems.
Performance Architecture: The Art and Science of Improving Organizations: A User’s Guide to Improving Performance / Roger Addison; Carol Haig; Lynn Kearny
The authors take a real integrative approach on Performance Improvement as opposed to many books that try to establish a brand. This alone makes it worthwhile reading. Especially for newcomers to the field it provides an easy to understand comprehensive and coherent overview and at the same time is a guide to practical application. Probably the best book to read when somebody enters the field of Performance Improvement.
Understanding Institutional Diversity / Elinor Ostrom
Ostrom develops a framework for explaining human behavior in the diverse range of situations in which humans interact. Although at first glance there is no theoretical connection to Performance Improvement it quickly becomes obvious that her Institutional Analysis and Development Framework can be extremely helpful in combination with the models we know from PI. Institution is different from organization. Her definition of institution is: “…institutions are the prescriptions that humans use to organize all forms of repetitive and structured interactions…”. We find institutions in all kinds of settings like families, organizations, markets, associations, and so on. And institutions explain to a large extend why people behave like they behave. It is not about individual traits of people but how “the system” (the institution) determines what they do. Rummler’s put a good man into a bad system and the system will win almost any time rings immediately. Thus understanding and designing institutions is crucial when it comes to understanding human behavior. And she clearly shows that not all problems have to call for markets or government as the solution. There are fascinating other ways. An essential add on the toolbox of anybody who is interested in human and institutional performance.
Systems Concepts in Action: A Practitioner’s Toolkit / Bob Williams; Richard Hummelbrunner
On not even ten pages the authors give a pragmatic and concise introduction to what are systems, what does thinking systemically mean and what is being systemic. You hardly will find anything better on these topics. On the same ten pages they also show that the idea of holism or taking a holistic approach is neither possible nor desirable. In a casual way they make crystal clear that holism is nonsense, although people who claim to work systemically more often than not also claim to take a holistic approach. The rest of the book is a compendium of methods which are arranged into three parts: Describing and analyzing situations, changing and managing situations, and learning about situations. Anytime you don’t know how to approach a situation this is a good reference to go to.
Strategic Thinking / Roger Kaufman
If you don’t want to be captured in the weeds this is the book to go to. There are thousands of books on strategic thinking, this one makes it a clear well thought through exercise. Anybody can follow the path that Kaufman outlines. He succeeded in making it simple. But don’t be fooled. It is not easy to do. Getting the buy-in to think from societal benefits backwards might be hard to achieve. If you feel responsible in this world and are connected to Performance Improvement put it on your must read list. You will find a framework to structure all your endeavors.
Thinking, Fast…Slow / Daniel Kahneman
Kahneman shows that the classical description of humans in economic theory as being rational and selfish and as having tastes that do not change is far from being a realistic one. The book is a tour de force through human decision making and at the same time explains how we see the world. And after you’ve read the book you’ll see the world differently yourself. Although the book unfolds an enormous spectrum of research it is an easy read. Kahneman obviously has writing capabilities that match his profound research. Something that you don’t find that often. If you want to learn about yourself and if you want to learn about pitfalls that might harm human performance and how to avoid them this is a must read. Probably you’ll read it more than only one time.
Les Décisions Absurdes / Christian Morel
Unfortunately this book is not available in English. Only the ones who can read French can enjoy it and they will. The book shows how intelligent people, given certain circumstances, make obviously stupid decisions and ways to avoid it. You’ll find interesting analyses of plane and ship accidents as well as examples out of everyday life. In a fun way it adds to the performance consultant’s toolbox.
Development as Freedom / Amartya Sen
Sen sees individual freedom as a social commitment. And in this view it becomes the “primary end and the principal means of development”. Anybody who is fed up with neo-liberal economics and the stupid belief that markets are the solution to each and everything finds a sensible description based on comprehensive research why this is not the case. Sen distinguishes five types of freedom: political freedoms, economic facilities, social opportunities, transparency guarantees, and protective security. He makes a convincing argument why these types of freedom are instrumental in fostering substantive freedoms in general. Combines organically with Kaufman’s strategic thinking.
Guy Wallace did an impressive collection of interviews with HPT practitioners:
Gene Bellinger (no book, just a video):